International parrot trade

The international trade in parrots is a very profitable business and is an important part of the international wildlife trade. As parrots have become more endangered, many countries have made rules to limit or stop this trade. Even with these rules, the trade still happens in both legal and illegal ways. One big group that tries to help control this trade is called CITES, which stands for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Animals and Plants. It started in 1975 and includes 184 members, such as 183 countries and the European Union. CITES works to protect about 38,000 species around the world by giving them different levels of protection.

About 2,600 of the more than 9,600 bird species in the world are traded, and 20% of these belong to the parrot family, called Psittaciformes. In 2009, around 3.9% of homes in the United States had birds as pets. This meant there were about 11,199,000 pet birds, and 75% of them were parrots from the Psittaciforme order.

CITES

CITES is an organization that helps protect animals and plants that are in danger of disappearing. It has special lists, called appendices, that show which species need the most protection.

Appendix I lists species that are in big danger of disappearing, and usually, only special permission allows trading them. Appendix II lists species that are not in immediate danger but still need careful control when traded. Appendix III lists species protected by at least one country. A study in Singapore in 2016 discovered that many birds, including parrots, listed in these appendices were not sent back out of the country after arriving. Keeping track of where parrots go after they are brought into a country helps make sure they are being raised there and not sold as pets.

International trade

The pet trade is a big part of both legal and illegal animal trade around the world every year. It is thought to be worth between $30.6 and $42.8 billion each year, with a large part of that coming from illegal activities. Parrots enter the trade in two main ways: they are either caught from the wild or bred from wild birds and then sold.

Birds, including parrots, make up a large part of the animals traded. Many bird species are at risk because of this trade. Some of the top places that send out parrots include Latin American countries like Guyana, Suriname, and Argentina. The biggest buyers of parrots are the European Union, the United States, Singapore, Central America, and the Caribbean.

Many birds do not survive the journey to markets, and the rules about trading them differ between countries, making it hard to stop illegal trade. This can lead to problems for the birds and for wild populations.

Trade in the United States

Most parrots in the United States come from other countries, but some are taken from the wild inside the country. In Florida, there are wild blue-and-yellow macaws that are not from there and are not protected by local laws. This means they can be taken and sold online without breaking any rules. Experts say that when wild animals have value as pets, like in cities, it can lead to animals being taken from the wild.

Legal rules and restrictions regarding Psittacidae trade

The Wild Bird Conservation Act was created in 1992 to protect exotic birds from being traded internationally. This law says that wild-caught birds can only come into the United States if they are part of special plans to make sure there are enough birds left in the wild. Because of this law, the number of parrots brought into the US dropped from over 100,000 each year to just a few hundred.

In 2005, the European Union stopped allowing wild birds to be brought in after some birds got very sick from H5N1 bird flu. This ban became permanent in 2007, and now only birds that were raised in captivity in certain countries can be imported.

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species helps protect some bird species from being traded too much. Several kinds of parrots, like the Ara (great green macaw, blue-throated macaw, scarlet macaw, military macaw), are protected, so it is not allowed to trade these birds from the wild internationally.

Trade in Mexico

Although it is difficult to know exactly how many birds are taken each year, a survey suggests that between 65,000 and 78,500 parrots are captured and sold annually in Mexico. This trade has caused parrot populations to drop by as much as 30% over the past century due to losing their homes and being taken for trade.

The trade of parrots has deep roots in Mexico's history. The Aztecs kept parrots as pets and used their feathers for special ceremonies. Smaller groups under Aztec rule often gave Macaw feathers to the Aztecs as a sign of respect. Even before Spanish settlers arrived, there was trade of parrot feathers and birds within Mexico and with nearby groups. When the Spanish came, new trade routes opened, increasing the parrot trade. Laws against illegal trade only began in the 20th century.

In 1982, Mexico banned the commercial export of parrots, but many continued to be smuggled into the United States. The Wild Bird Conservation Act in the United States in 1992 made it harder to bring exotic birds into the country, which reduced this trade. The Act also allowed for the creation of centers where parrots could be bred in captivity, and many Americans chose to buy these birds instead of wild-caught ones.

Today, illegal trade within Mexico is a bigger problem than international smuggling. Despite bans and permits, enforcement has been weak. Many parrots are still taken from the wild by people who sell them to middlemen, who then sell the birds in markets. Efforts to stop this trade face many challenges, including limited resources and difficulty tracking the birds. Some suggestions to help include better monitoring in areas where poaching happens, building pride in Mexico’s parrots, and creating ecotourism opportunities that support local communities instead of trapping birds.

Illegal market

Smuggling of parrots was very high in the 1980s. During that time, about 50,000 to 150,000 neotropical parrots were brought into the United States each year without permission.

Sample market prices

• A Lear's macaw can sell for about $60,000-$90,000
• Hyacinth macaws sell for $5000–$12,000 for a pair that can have babies
• Captive bred blue-and-yellow macaw sold for around $1,800 in the United States in the early 1980s, and for $650 to $900 in the early 1990s
• Live birds and bird eggs are often found when the Australian Customs Service checks things at the border
• The price of a blue and gold macaw could reach as high as $1200 in the early 1990s